In this little article, I challenge you to reflect and encourage you to laugh at my leadership lessons and corporate BS examples. It is summertime, most people think of holidays and dread work, so why not having a bit of fun?
I have been leading teams for over two decades and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. The list below is a rare collection of moments that left me wondering, “What was that about?” Don`t take them (too) seriously.
Take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy the sarcasm – because there is plenty of it!
Not Everything Is Awesome
I once had a colleague who responded to everything with the same word: “Awesome.”
A project delivered on time? Awesome.
A product that flopped? Awesome.
People crying in the bathroom? Still awesome.
This was not optimism. It was denial, dressed up in corporate jargon. And it did not take long to realise that his “praise” was hollow — just like the morale around us. The company was struggling. Big time.
Toxic positivity is not leadership. It is gaslighting with a smile.
People are not ignorant dolls — they know when things are off. Pretending otherwise does not inspire; it insults their intelligence.
Real leadership is not about spin. It is about saying, “This is hard, and we are going to face it together.”
Culture Check: Run, Forrest, Run.
In my first month at a new job, I joined a meeting with the CEO to discuss fundraising. A colleague I admired — sharp, confident, usually outspoken — suddenly shifted. Her tone flattened, posture stiffened, and she began offering defensive explanations.
No one had questioned her. Yet she was already explaining herself.
That was the moment I knew something was off. When people default to defence, it is not about performance. It is about culture. And when fear sets the tone, trust does not stand a chance.
You cannot build bold strategies in a culture of fear. You cannot conquer markets, win customers or build great products – and if your role model is Steve Jobs, you rely on an outlier.
Control is not leadership. Trust is.
We Are A Family Here
“We’re a family here.”
Ever heard that one at work?
Funny, because real families do not lay you off during budget season.
They do not “restructure” you out of existence.
And they definitely do not ghost you after years of loyalty.
Let’s be honest: a company is not your family. It is an economic agreement.
You give your time, skills, and energy. They give you money, benefits, and (ideally) respect.
You can care, collaborate, even build friendships — but you are not there out of unconditional love.
You are there to do a job. They are there to pay you.
I already have a family.
What I need is a workplace that treats me like an adult — pays fairly, sets clear boundaries, and does not weaponise belonging.
Because true belonging is not built on guilt trips.
It is built on shared purpose, mutual respect, and the freedom to walk away — without shame.
Analysis Paralysis: The Executive Edition
It took us six months to make a trivial decision. Six. Damn. Months.
We needed ten Steering Committees. After each one, someone rolled their eyes and asked for yet another analysis.
Operations and Finance scrambled like headless chickens, breaking SQL to produce reports and slides no one would read.
Meanwhile, a couple of humble juniors — three layers down the org chart — quietly held the whole thing together.
The problem? Not data. Not an analysis.
What was missing was courage — the courage to act without perfect certainty.
Prince Charming did not wait for a Steering Committee. He showed up, lost his sword, improvised — and still got the job done. Leadership is not about perfect plans. It is about showing up when it counts — sword or no sword.
People Are Not FTE`s
That came as a shocker, apparently.
How come? They are FTEs. Cost centres. Resources. Assets.
At least that is how the ultra-highly-paid consultants saw them.
They came in to cut costs and “create synergies,” benchmarking the hell out of us — and reducing people to headcount on a spreadsheet.
What did they miss? Behind those numbers were humans.
Mothers. Caregivers. Single parents. People holding teams — and families — together.
You say people are your biggest asset? Great. Now act like it.
Create safe spaces. Listen. Pay fairly. Promote based on values, not politics.
Because people are not line items.
They are your company.
The Leadership Dilemma and Rockstar CEO
The “rockstar CEO” had it all — the spotlight, the soundbites, the self-importance.
Big speeches. Bigger ego. Always front and centre. Loved to say “we” when things went well, and “you” when they did not.
But companies are not built by rockstars.
They are built by bands — messy, brilliant, often-overlooked bands. The real work happens backstage. In late-night Slack messages, in problem-solving, in people who show up every day without needing a standing ovation.
The best leaders I have met do not need the mic. They know leadership is not a performance — it is a commitment.
So spare me the glossy keynotes and the perfectly curated LinkedIn persona. Show me the team.
That is where the real story lives.
The Saviour, The Star, The Ultimate God
Ahem, another one.
Imagine a room full of experts deep in discussion, sharing what they actually know.
And the CEO — the self-declared Saviour, Star, and Ultimate God — dropping “challenging” questions to show how knowledgeable he is.
People nod politely. No one dares say what they are thinking:
“Dude, we’re working here. If you want to play smart, there’s another room for that.”
The best leaders I know do not fight for the mic. They pass it around.
They do not need to be the smartest in the room — they had therapy for that, and realised they have nothing left to prove. Instead, they create spaces where others can shine.
If your success story starts with “I” and ends with “me,” it might be time to sit this one out.
The Perfection or Humanity in Leadership?
These are not theories. They are lived experiences — some sharp, some funny, all real.
Leadership today is not about perfection. It is about awareness, courage, and just enough humility to stay human.
And if you can laugh about it along the way? Even better.
No dragons were harmed in the making of these lessons — but a few egos got a little toasted.
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